Paschal triduum

Sacred Paschal Triduum

(from Lat. Triduum - Three Days) is the most important event in the Catholic liturgical year, whose essence is the celebration of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Christ. It begins with an evening Mass on Holy Thursday (Mass of the Lord's Supper), and ends with evening Vespers Easter Sunday.Pascha is related to the Jewish Passover. The very word Pascha derives from the Hebrew paesah what it means a circumvent, transition. This feast is a reminder of slavery the nation of Israel in Egypt. The Exodus was preceded by the ritual consumption of the paschal lamb. Christians believe that Christ, during the last Passover supper fulfilled of Old Testament prophecies and that He was the Passover Lamb and completed the saving sacrifice.The first mention of the celebration of Holy Week are from the fourth century. Until 1929 to define the term of Easter Triduum was used the term Triduum Sacrum. Currently uses the name appeared in 1924.

Walter RaneIn Remembrance of Me

Maundy Thursday

in this day is celebrated only one sacrifice of the Eucharist, in the morning, Holy ChrismMass, celebrated in the cathedral by the bishop and priests of the diocese. During the Mass the bishop blesses the oil of catechumens and the sick and consecrates the sacred chrism (oil mixed with balsam, is used for unction, among others at Confirmation, the consecration of the church, ordination of priests). Priests take the new oils to their parish and the old oils are burn. The Chrism Mass is ending of Lent.Evening Holy Mass is the beginning of the Easter Triduum. It recalls the Last Supper, during which Christ offered to God the Father his body and his blood under the appearances of bread and wine, and then gave the Apostles to eat and ordered them and their successors in the priesthood to do it on His remembrance. This Holy Mass is of particular importance for the priests, because during of the Last Supper Christ instituted the priesthood and the Eucharist, which is the essence of priesthood.The Holy Mass has its order and the character in most like other Masses. Differences lie in the fact that during the Gloria in Excelsis Deo, all church bells are ringing. Upon completion of this hymn church bells and organ fall silent, during the Transformation can only use wooden rattles. After Holy Communion. all the cans must be placed to the "dark cell", there also is placed the monstrance with the Body of Christ, The tabernacle is empty, the eternal lamp is off, and the altar stripped of candles, missal and the tablecloth. After the prayer after Communion is usually followed by the handing of flowers and gifts for the priests.The priests have say Mass in golden chasubles.Maundy Thursday has the nature of the inauguration of the Easter Triduum.

The beginning of concelebrated Mass of Lord's Supper

After the homily, the ritual washing of feetas a sign of humility and good service of love

The Eucharist

Flowers and good wishes for the priests on their holiday

Solemn, in a procession, transfer of the Blessed Sacrament the Body of Christand all the consecrated host into the 'dark cell'

The priest left the Blessed Sacrament in a chapel called 'dark dungeon'

Night Vigil at Christ in the Blessed Sacrament

Good Friday

On this day, not celebrating the Holy Mass , with great respect for the sacrifice of Christ suffered on the cross for the sins of the world. It is a day of seriousness, concentration and the fasting in which especially is venerating the tree of cross (kneeling and kissing). The last time is celebrated the Stations of the Cross , the center of this day is the Liturgy of Passion, which is composed up of four elements:

Liturgy of the Word; is preceded by prostration (lying down cross) of priest. 1. Reading Isaiah 52.13 - 53.12 The prophet Isaiah foretells the Messiah's suffering . "He carried our sorrows, " "Like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep is silent before shearers her, so he opened not his mouth” Psalm 31 - "Father, into your hands I submit my spirit„2. Reading Heb 4,14-16; 5,7-9 death on the cross as salvation, made by the supreme High Priest - Christ Passion according to the Gospel. of Sts Jan - is read or sung by narrator and particulars persons General Prayer - prayer reach back Christian antiquity, is it 10 invocations, each of which consists of an introduction, a prayer in silence, oration sung by the priest and the acclamation, "Amen”, which is an expression of confirmation from the people. Another prayer intentions are: the Church, the pope, catechumens, the unity of Christians, Jews, non-believers in Christ, not believers in God, the ruling states, the afflicted and suffering.

Adoration of the Cross - to the presbytery brings the cross is, which the priest reveals in the three stages, each time by singing: "Behold the wood of the Cross on which hung the Saviour of the world" (Ecce lignum Crucis, in que salus mundi pependit), to which people respond "Come, let us adore Him" (Venite adoramus). You can also carry a cross in procession through the church and to sing the acclamation in three places of temple (at the entrance, to the middle and in the chancel). Then the faithful venerate the Cross, for example through kissing. In this time the singing of the Improperia.

Holy Communion. Priests give faithful Hosts consecrated on Holy Thursday. Liturgy of the Passion of Christ is thus the equivalent of the Byzantine "Liturgy of the pre-sanctified gifts”. During the communion altar is covered with cloth and are set candles and missal. After communion, everything is taken away..

The procession of the Holy Sepulchre. In accordance with centuries-old tradition at the end of the liturgy of the Eucharist in a procession moves to the tabernacle of the Holy Sepulchre. Here is exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the monstrance covered with a white veil and short prayer, after which the priest goes to the sacristy.In the evening, under the leadership of the Pope, is The Way of the Cross at the Roman Colosseum.Good Friday liturgy is celebrated in a red chasuble.In this day begins the Novena of Divine Mercy, which can last 9 hours, 9 days, 9 months, or even from 9 to 10 years. After the Liturgy you can sing (without accompaniment), three parts of the BitterLamentations.

Prostration "lying down cross" of the priest

Adoration of the Cross

Monstrance with the Body of Christ in the chapel of the Holy Sepulchre

Body of Christ is adored by the faithful during the night prayer vigil

Holy Saturday

To this day the Church is silent - it is a time of great silence, meditation and vigils at the Tomb of the Lord. Historically, before the Liturgy of the Easter Vigil, the altar was being destroyed and was being built the new, today is only deprived of the altar cloths and decorations. Exist also a custom of visiting of the symbolic graves of the Lord in the churches, and the graves of loved ones in cemeteries. Formally, Holy Saturday has got not its own Liturgy, the Liturgy of the Easter Vigil (see below) belongs to the Easter Sunday (because of the Jewish system of dates, according to which after sunset on Saturday starts Sunday).In Poland (and some neighboring countries) there is a tradition that the faithful brings on this day so called in polish "święcone", those are eggs, pieces of sausage, little bread's and another food in baskets and the priest blesses it solemnly.

Blessing of food

Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday

It is the time to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ. Formerly, the Easter Sunday wasbegining from the morning Mass,so-called Resurrection Mass), it was preceded by a ceremonial ringing of the bells, proclaiming that Christ is risen. In connection with the renewal of the liturgy and the restoration of ancient Triduum ceremonies, this celebration is losing popularity in favor of the night Easter Vigil Liturgy .

Easter Vigil Liturgy

is the most important ceremony in the year. It begins on Saturday after nightfall and ends at the latest before dawn Sunday. It consists of four parts:

Liturgy of Light - in front of the church the priest consecrates fire, from which lights up the Paschal candle - a symbol of Christ. On the Paschal candle priest draws a cross and the letters: Α (alpha) and Ω (omega). This means that in the beginning was God and He will also come to the end as a merciful judge. On the Paschal candle priest saves the current date, in order to emphasize that Christ is passing from point alpha (from the creation of the world) to the omega point (end of the world) history of salvation, which also passes through this particular year. In addition, the priest sticks in the candle five nails (grapes), symbolizing the five wounds of Christ. The light of paschal candle has also Its symbolism , brightening the dark shadows of the church so like Christ to dispels darkness of the human life, giving it meaning. Then the deacon or the priest carry in the candle into the temple , stopping at the beginning, middle and front of the main altar and singing The Light of Christ. Po fumigacji świecy paschalnej kapłan śpiewa Exsultet - uroczyste Orędzie Wielkanocne jest zaczynający się od słów: "Niech śpiewają chóry aniołów w niebie ... " Liturgy of the Word - On that date, provided a total of nine readings from the Bible: seven from Old Testament, epistle and gospel, which are interspersed psalms and prayers. Some readings may be omitted, but you should always read the key passage from the Book of Exoduswhich is talking about crossing through the Red Sea. After this reading the lector do not says "Here The Word of God", because is sung the responsory which is a continuation of reading..

After the last reading from the Old Testament and prayer, the priest intones the "Gloria", during this the bells are rung, they play organs (rattles replaced by bells and gong) then says Collect. Then the lector reads the Epistle, and later is sung a solemn Alleluja and the Responsorial Psalm. Then the priest reads the Gospel and preaches the homily.Liturgy of Baptism - After the homily follows the baptismal liturgy during which it is sung Litany of the Saints after this celebrant blesses the waters of baptism by immersion in it three times of the candle. Then, if it is customary to gives the catechumens baptized. Liturgy of the Eucharist - Its course is similar to the Eucharistic liturgy of other Sundays, but the The ceremony is completed by a solemn Resurrection Procession with the Blessed Sacrament.In some churches, the procession is not the Easter Vigil, but before the first Mass on Sunday morning. In Sunday the Mass begins at the Tomb of the Lord, there the priest announces the resurrection of Christ. After returning to the church chants a solemn hymn Te Deum, and the priest blesses the people of the Blessed Sacrament.

Liturgy of light - consecration of fire

Introducing of the paschal candle into the dark interior of the church

Here the light of Christ

The faithful light their candles from the paschal candle, the inside of the church is filled with light

The priest incenses the paschal candle and sings Exsultet

Liturgy of the Word - nine biblical readings

Baptismal liturgy - consecration of water

Liturgy of the Eucharist

.. and Sunday morning, before dawn, ... the tomb is empty ...

Solemn Resurection Mass begins with a procession

The procession comes back to the temple

Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world

„Ite, missa est” - those are words addressed to the faithful at the end of Mass, the priest blesses the faithful

Małgorzata WrochnaThe Risen Christ

Background Sound - „Płaczcie Anieli” (Let Weep Angeles) –one of the songs on Triuduum

- „Wstał Pan Chrystus z martwych ninie”(The Lord Christ rose from the dead now) the song for Easter period

FPhotos - from the collection of archivalof Parish of Good Shepherd in Lublin

The presentation made by - Anna